Part 2 of a 3–part series on differential fees
For many of us, the decision to study abroad is a family matter. Most international students’ families have to deal with the financial challenges that come along with the decision. Many international students certainly could not be here without their families’ consent and support.
It is almost impossible to afford tuition fees in Canada without some type of financial assistance. Not all international students can apply for student loans. However, there are some countries that provide their residents with financial aid to pursue higher education abroad. I always thought that those students have better experiences than those of us who cannot apply for loans. But when I met Ruby*, I realized how wrong I had been.
Ruby is an international student from South Asia. She’s in her second year, pursuing a degree in engineering. Ruby told me she came to Canada because her country does not offer the specific major she is in, and she wanted to pursue her dream of becoming a biological engineer.
Unlike many other international students, Ruby was able to apply for a loan in her home country. Unfortunately, the loan only complicated the financial situation for Ruby and her family. Applying for loans in other places is not as easy as it is in Canada.
She had to provide the bank with her university acceptance letter and some type of security. The security is a guarantee that the student will pay the loan back. Ruby’s family left their house documents with the bank to assist her with the loan. If Ruby fails to pay back the loan, the bank will own her family’s residence.
Students must start paying their loans on certain dates that are assigned by the bank. For example, if a student is accepted in a master’s program, he or she has only two years to finish his or her studies; and one year to find a job. The student must start paying the loan by the end of the third year. The bank expects payments right after the assigned date.
Ruby told me that she is in a very challenging program, and because she has to work part-time, she says she can’t finish her studies on time. Although Ruby likes her job on campus she thinks working part-time may affect her studies, and delay her graduation. This could shrink her window of opportunity to look for work before she begins to pay back her debts.
Moreover, the interest on her loan keeps increasing each year, and delay in payments will only make the matters worst for her. “What if I don’t get a job on time? What if it takes me six months?” she said. “And the interest keeps increasing, so how much can I save for myself?”
Before coming to Canada, Ruby had applied for entry to other universities in countries, such as Germany and Sweden. She said many European universities ask for a smaller differential fee, if they charge one at all. But they have a harder admission process. When she wasn’t admitted into any of those universities, she chose to come to Canada, despite the costly tuition.
Ruby thinks paying differential fees is “very unreasonable,” and she believes that the fees must be reduced if not completely removed. “There is so much pressure on me,” she says, “and after all that, I cannot save anything for my future”.
*The name has been changed to protect the student’s identity.
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